We LOVE Uncle Chris and Amanda

Chris and Amanda do an amazing job of being the BESTEST Uncle and Aunt to my kids. On top of making them feel special about the everyday things going on in their lives... they make a point at doing special things with them and sharing their time with us. While in NJ visiting my friend, we stayed with my brother and Amanda and got to have an extra day of summer fun with them when Amanda suggested we go to the Jersey shore for the day!

We (me in particular) are lake people. Growing up going to the Adirondacks and now living a stones throw away from my parents lake, I don't think about going to the ocean much, nor is it a vacation that we have done with our kids, so it was so great to get a taste of it for the day. Chris took the day off from work and Amanda brought us to Bradley beach - an area on the shore she knew well. The weather was hot, the sand was perfect, the beach was not too crowded and all was good. It was such an awesome memory for my kids and neat for me to see them be able to have this day, this memory, be with Chris and Amanda. We love you guys!!

Chris teaching Natalie how to swim with the waves. She had only been to the Ocean one other time and was a toddler then... so she had never been out in the Ocean water "fighting" the waves. Chris and Natalie loved it and even learned how to chase the waves in. (On the other hand, Colin wasn't so sure about the waves and was even a little nervous about getting his toes wet... Sadie liked it enough until a wave got her and then she was done with the water for a while...)

Beach Time!

The reality check of this day was that I still do have three children and am constantly reminded by them that when you have kids, no event will go as you expect or want - thus keeping you on your toes and always re-defining what a successful event is. I was hoping and envisioning this day as pure bliss... the kids endlessly playing in the sand, running back and forth from the waves, maybe Colin taking a little snooze under the umbrella - while I read my book and enjoyed listening to their laughter. Well, that picture perfect moment lasted about 30 minutes and maybe 2 paragraphs of my book. Then it quickly turned into, "I'm hungry", "Can I have a snack," "I need to go to the bathroom," "Can we go to the playground," "What are we having for dinner," "When are we going to leave," and so on and so forth.... I found myself getting very annoyed at their apparent lack of understanding of how to enjoy the ocean and the opportunities that we were giving them. I had to keep telling myself that although they were not exactly acting like it, that they would appreciate this day and would be able to hold onto the memory forever. Sounds good, right??

Nothing better than a BFF!

On my birthday this past year, my best friend, Kristin, told me that we had been Best Friends for 20 years. I know it is cliched to say that "Time flies..." but it truly does and I couldn't believe that we had even known each other for that long, but 'tis true -We met and became friends when I moved to NJ and started 8th grade at age 13. So... for the past 20 years, Kristin and I have shared so much and even more unique to our friendship is that for the past 16 years, we have not lived near one another and have been able to maintain our deep friendship through almost daily phone calls and with the power of the Internet, lots of shared pictures. Over those 20 years, we have gone through the intensity of high school, first loves, college, finding "the one", weddings, marriage, homeovership, motherhood and the chaos of daily life. Kristin and her family now live in Georgia and although we still maintain a close friendship, I usually only get to see her about once a year. A few days ago, Kristin and her boys were in New Jersey visiting her parents and the kids and I drove down for a day full of fun. It was such a perfect day!

The day began with an early morning run together. I LOVED that we got to do this because I feel like my own passion for running really began with Kristin who got into running before me and shared with me all her success with the sport and since it has become a hobby that we both enjoy... but never get to do together. We will often text one another and joke around and say something like... "Hey, do you want to meet up for a run together tomorrow..." and we actually got to do that!! Then the we got ALL the kids(7 of them between us) together for a swim in the pool, a lunch date and afternoon walk at Rampo Nature Preserve. It was so awesome in how easy it was to be together. You would think that having that many kids together - especially ones that don't know each other - would be a ton of work, but it was so great. I think that Kristin and I have similar parenting styles, which makes it very easy and simple to be around each other and do things together with our kids. I also think because they hear about each other so much and see each other in pictures that the kids think that they do know each other. I hope that they always have a special relationship with one another. Below are a couple of pics of the kids from their day together.

Sadie (6), Kyle (11 mo.), Natalie (9), Noah (8), Owen (almost 7), Connor (31/2) and Colin (3)

Natalie loving having baby Kyle to play with!

Kristin and Me!

Colin loving being one of the boys!

Connor and Colin

(do you see how much bigger Connor is?? He is only 5 months older than Colin - crazy!)

This perfect day got even better when I surprised Kristin with Taylor Swift tickets for that evening. Kristin and I are both country music fans; and in particular, Taylor Swift fans and it seemed like the perfect way to celebrate her birthday, our friendship and the fun of summer.

So thankful to have Kristin in my life and to be able to squeeze little visits in with her whenever possible... and loving that we can always make the most of the time we have together and keep our friendship so strong!

The next adventure...

Apparently, we like to live a life of adventure and anxiety! "Never without a project" should be our family motto! With our house complete and perfect, we have decided to try and give selling another go-round. Make sense?? No, not at all!! However, we have agreed that we don't see us staying here long term and an opportunity arouse that we decided to give it a shot. I have lost sleep, probably gotten an ulcer and been very stressed about this decision. In the midst of this uncertainty, I know that we are a very fortunate family and we make solid decisions that are always with the best of our family in mind, and with that... I know that in the end, all will be good.
So... here is the latest. As of a couple of weeks ago, we have put our house on the market. We priced it a little bit more "competitive" than we did last summer and are fully aware that the housing market is not in a great spot and will see what happens. We have no pressure to sell immediately, so we are going to take it as it comes (let me say, writing this is MUCH easier than wrapping my head around that concept!) I do feel a little emotional seeing the "for sale" sign in the yard.

And... we have (or will finalize it on Monday) bought a piece of property to build on. It is a lot in an existing neighborhood that is very close to our current home (0.9 miles away to be exact). It is a beautiful neighborhood, with lots of places to walk or bike around. The lot is flat and a decent size with very nice homes surrounding it. We have liked this neighborhood for a while and have even looked at the lot before - but it was priced higher than we would have considered. With a recent drop in price on the lot and Nick's low ball offer... it has panned out for us to be the new owners of this lot. Nick has always wanted to build his own house and we both feel much more knowledgeable about what kind of space is important for us in a house and think we can build a house that is perfect for us, in a price range that will end up saving us money and downsizing our already pretty reasonable mortgage. Nick has an amazing eye and ability for projects like this. With a project of this size, he may not be the "hammer and nail" guy for all the building, but he will be the brains and organizer of it all. We have found a plan that we like and are excited to start thinking about the details, once we get action on our current home.

So... the timetable.... we close on the property tomorrow and will probably do little to lot in the immediate future. We will wait to see what happens with the sale of this home. Once this sells, we will look for a rental (YUCK - I can't even begin to think about the stress that this part of the process will do to me.... moving 2x with 3 kids, while working full time and having to keep up with all their activities, school work and still manage to be sane!). While in the rental, the construction on the house will happen. Depending on the time of year of all of this, will guide us on how much Nick can work on the house, thus how fast the project will move forward. So, I guess the short story of the timetable, is that we don't really have one. We could be in the new house in 9 months or 9 years.... we will see how it plays out.

Since we have made this decision, I have second guessed it about a million times. How does one know if a decision is right?? I list the pros and cons in my head over and over and make Nick talk to me about it more than I am sure he is finding amusing. In the end, I go back to my thought that Nick would never do anything that would jeopardize our family, thus if he feels good about this, I can to. Also, when Nick asks me to forgo all the immediate stress (the selling of the house, the construction, the in-between rental) I feel really good about the new house in the new neighborhood, with the tremendous pride that we will all feel knowing that Nick was the brains behind our home! :)

So... here's to the next project of the Giumarra family!

We Love Summer!

Summer vacation has been pure bliss. Weather has been OUTSTANDING and I am loving the ages of our kids. It has been 9 years since we have had a summer free of diapers, naps, bottles and sippy cups - which makes the flexibility of this summer such an improvement! I have been keeping the kids ultra busy with swimming, playdates and adventures. The above picture was taking on the top of Shelving Rock Mountain on Lake George which we did with Nick's brother and family before we all enjoyed a picnic dinner and swim in the lake. So delightful!

I am nervous that this summer is going to fly by, so I think that is why I am trying to squeeze everything into every day. This weekend is our last "free" weekend before we go back to school, which makes me ultra nervous!! Thankfully, we have lots of fun stuff coming up.... trip to NJ, camping weekend, trip to Maine, Family Reunion, etc... but in a weird way, I don't want to give up my "free" time to do these things. I don't think that even makes sense, but I am just loving living day to day and filling up our days one day at a time. I am sure it will all be good - i just may never want to return to work EVER after this summer!

S-U-M-M-E-R V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N!

Summer vacation is here and we are in full swing! It is a highly anticipated time of the year and we are blessed enough to be able to enjoy it as a family for the full 2 months! Although, there are many times when I think the word "blessed" is a stretch when all 3 of my kids are driving me crazy and I haven't been alone for more than 10 seconds at a time, but really - how amazing is it that we are fortunate enough to have jobs that allow us the opportunity to take a true break from the routine of live and re-charge for another year. This is our 9th summer vacation as a family and although it might be the busiest, it seems to be getter better and better.

Each summer, Nick and I have a "transition" period where we are figuring out how to be together every day, all day... How many couples (and parents) do you know that are home together every day for over 2 months? It sounds great (and is) but it takes some figuring out and sorting through. Particularly, because few dads are home with their kids and I have lots of friends that are home with their kids over the summer - that I end up being with the kids a lot! Some summers Nick has had projects going on that have become his "work," but this summer there seems to be lots of projects in the works - but nothing going on right now. During this transition period, I get bitter because I feel like I never get anytime to myself, yet I almost bring it upon myself as I like to go, go, go and enjoy every moment of summer vacation. Usually, by a week or two into the vacation, I have learned that I need to slow down a bit and Nick has learned that he needs to give me a little alone time every once in a while.

However, I haven't slowed down yet... Weather has been great and I want to take advantage of every moment of summer with my kids. Here is a taste of what we have done since the official beginning of summer vacation just over a week ago...
Monday - 6 kids up to Nannie's lake for a playdate
Tuesday - overnight at Nannie's and fun with her
Wednesday - swim lessons and neighborhood playdates
Thursday - daytrip to Galway lake
Friday - swim lessons, swim at friend's pool and BBQ with Uncle Chris and Amanda
Saturday - hike up Buck Mtn, pool party and dinner at Nannie's
Sunday - boat ride and swim at Lake Vanare, walk in the pouring rain and an afternoon of naps!
Monday - today... the 4th of July... who knows... maybe shelving Rock? Maybe fireworks?

I already fear that the summer is going to go by in a flash and that before we even realize it, September will be here and routines will be back, craziness of a different variety will be among us and we will be in countdown till the next summer vacation - until then, I promise to enjoy what everyday brings me and to love the days of nothing-ness just as much as the days full of everything!

Happy Summer Vacation!

Natalie's 1st Triathalon

You know how sometimes you hear about people who have their kids do activities that they wish they did or where doing. What about those crazy stories of parents pushing their kids to the limits because they, themselves, never got where they wanted to be?? Well, I hope I am not one of those crazy parents... but I must say, that I think it's pretty awesome that Natalie completed a triathlon and YES I wish that I was doing one too!

Our local Y is awesome. We love it for so many reasons and find ourselves there almost daily. The kids participate in so many of their different sports and I have really gotten into a good routine with the fitness programs there too. Plus, the Y creates and sponsors such great family focused, healthy living, confidence building events... like the Kid's TRYathalon.

Natalie has been in swim lessons for this past school year and has been doing great. She loves it and even hopes to try out for the YMCA swim team in the fall. Along with that, her and I have been doing the family trail running class through the Y and Natalie has done really great with her long distance running. When the Y offered this triathlon, I thought it would be a great way to celebrate Natalie's fitness accomplishments for the year and she was excited to give it a GO!

Got her numbers all marked up. I have no idea why they do this??? I do know from seeing other triathlon pictures, that the athletes do this - but not sure why. I am guessing since they can't wear their bibs while swimming, it helps to identify them?? On her leg, she was also "marked" with a 9 for her age. I wonder if they do that in triathlons too? Would I have a big 33 on my calf?
Starting off with her strong event... Natalie did a great starting dive and swam the 50 meters! The pool was full of cheering spectators and swimmers of all abilities. So much fun to be part of that energy!

Next, she biked into the trails that go behind the Y. She encountered her first "technical difficulty" when her chain feel off her bike in the midst of the race. Apparently, she found a volunteer in the woods to help her get it back on and get going. We never thought to practice putting a chain back on!! Guess, Natalie really competed in a Quad-athalon, huh!
On to the running part... I could tell that she was tired at this point, but she pushed herself and keep strong. I love that about her in her fitness. She doesn't seem to be the fastest or the strongest, but she seems to hold steady and give it what she's got. Sadie (who decided the morning of race day that she should have participated as well) joined Natalie for the home stretch of the run. I think Sadie was dealing with some "look at me, look at me" needs, but it was still cute to hear her cheering on her sister and wanting to run the last bit with her.

A proud finisher! Nice job Natalie!

And the award.... almost as good as the feeling of doing the race (at least when you are a kid). Natalie finished in 16 min 27 sec. Amazing!

I hope we can make this a yearly event for our kids and that they give the same energy, enthusiasm and effort that Natalie brought to the event this year!

(Maybe I'll even get myself to do a Triathalon too!)

Our Kindergarten Graduate!

Another year gone by and now we have a 1st grader!

It has been a great school year for Sadie!!

I will never forget when her mid year report card came home in January and as we all gathered together on the couch to review them, I was shocked to read that Sadie was reading! Not only was she reading, but by mid-January, she had tested at a early 1st grade reading level! The craziest part of this, was that at that point, I didn't know she could read!! Every night, we read with the kids and Sadie has her special time where either Nick and I put her to bed and read with her, but up until that point, we had been reading TO her...totally unaware that she could be reading TO us! I guess she had been saving all that talent up for her reading in school. Needless to say, since then, at bedtime we still read her a book, but now she reads one to us too!

Along with reading, Sadie has soared in her social confidence and independence. Sadie is beyond comfortable at school and is willing to go anywhere and do anything that can be helpful around school. This confidence and newly developed independence can be seen outside of school as she is comfortable exploring new things on her own. Early on in the school year, the school hosted a movie night for kids and their families.... Sadie walked into that school gymnasium like she owned that place! When she needed to go to the bathroom, she told me..."Mom, I know where it is ... I can go by myself!" (Funny how Natalie still seems to want me to be within a few steps from her!)

That same night, in the school gymnasium, you would have thought Sadie was running for Prom Queen or Class President... she knew everyone and everyone knew her!! The kids seemed to flock to her and she made her rounds socializing a bit with everyone.

She seems to talk about everyone in her class and not have one good friend, but yet friendly with all. She seems to play equally (if not more...) with the boys in her class, than she does with the girls. She even swears she had a boyfriend in her class and tells us that a different boy kissed her!

Along with her academics and social needs at school, Sadie also made herself very comfortable with the school nurse. I, too, remember loving trips to the school nurse! Sadie has become a "regular" at the school nurse's office. I think she needs the movement, enjoys the walk out of class, loves the attention and has just made it part of her day. Thankfully, the visits have slowed down a bit know that we are onto her routine!

Overall, it has been a great year. Her work ethic is different than Natalie's and I know that we will have to push her harder to do her best. Sadie loves to get through things quick and putting forth her best effort doesn't come naturally. She takes pride in her work, but doesn't seem phased when her work isn't up to par. I guess just another reminder that not all children (not even ours) will be the same....

Sadie and her teacher, Mrs. Stannard! Mrs. Stannard is a fantastic teacher and a perfect match for Sadie. We are blessed with her ability to keep Sadie feeling positive about her work, yet challenging her to do her best. We are so thankful for all her work!

Natalie and Sadie at K graduation.


The Kindergarten certificate!

WhooHoo!

Congratulations Sadie.

We look forward to celebrating with you on all your academic, social and emotional successes along the way!

By the way... I don't understand Kindergarten Graduation at all... I mean, you don't graduate from 1st grade, or 3rd grade... then why Kindergarten?? It isn't even as if you are moving on from one building to the next? Just because it doesn't start with a number makes it warrant a graduation? Parents coming to Sadie's graduation had balloons, flowers and gifts for their "graduate" and Sadie was a bit put off (although she did handle it nicely) that we came empty handed. I mean if we are going to lavish them with gifts after Kindergarten graduation, what will we be able to give them that will matter when they graduate from High School? I opt we end Kindergarten Graduation and just make it an end of the year celebration...who's with me??